Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman Explains How His Accent Was Not Initially Well Received by Marvel Producers

Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman said he was turned into bringing a sense of culture and history to his Wakandan ruler T’Challa, whose authentic African accent was not initially well received by Marvel producers.

“I think the thing for me was the compass for me. As I wanted to make sure that there’s the most truthful representation of my African culture that we could do in a movie like this, with a country that is not real, with a past that’s not real,” Chadwick Boseman told Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen during his appearance on Variety’s Actors on Actors series.

Chadwick Boseman, who first appeared as the African alongside John Kani as father and then-king T’Chaka in Captain America: Civil War, explained that he was left to navigate the intricacies of an authentic accent long before starring alongside other African actors in the Ryan Coogler-directed Black Panther.

“I had to start it separate from them. To start in Civil War,” said Boseman.

“I had to make sure that, okay, what’s this guy going to sound like, if he has an accent? And that’s a thing not necessarily well received at first by the filmmakers and the producers because they were afraid of, what is an audience going to think about?”

The star also explained the different accents enforce engagement, with audiences having to “lean into it because they are like, ‘Oh, I have never heard that before,’” Chadwick Boseman added. “People love it.”

“It’s a thing of, for me, how do I find that sense of culture?” Chadwick Boseman continued of embracing African dialects. “How do I grab from my own history and past and DNA? And I used everything I could. You know what I am saying?”

Chadwick Boseman previously revealed that he had to fight against Wakandans having American or British accents, which would be more palatable for audiences, as he told The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast back in September.

“They felt maybe that [an African accent] was too much for an audience to take. I felt the exact opposite,” said Boseman.

“It’s like if I speak with a British accent, what is gonna happen when I go back home? It feels to me like a dealbreaker. And having gone through similar situations before where I was willing to. It’s like, standing up for it I was like, well, here we go again. So for them, I do not think it was that deep. I think it was an opinion.”

The real-life Xhosa language that T’Challa and his people spoke is “such an important factor,” Chadwick Boseman continued. “That if we lose this now, what else are we going to throw away for the sake of making others feel comfortable? So yes, that’s a huge thing. Once we decided to do it, we’d went for it.”

We will see Chadwick Boseman next returns as T’Challa in upcoming Avengers: Endgame, out April 26 next year.

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Black Panther 2 Release Date Revealed

Despite all of the epic announcements at San Diego Comic-Con from Marvel last month, fans seemed a little disappointed that there was one update in particular that did not happen: the release date for Black Panther 2. This much-anticipated sequel is on the horizon, but fans have still been left wondering about details. However, at D23 on Saturday, Marvel Studios had a big surprise for fans, unveiling the release date for the movie: May 6, 2020.

First hit theaters on February 2018, Black Panther became one of the highest-grossing films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its current domestic gross of over $700 million and a total global take of $1.3 billion. That kind of massive success earned the movie a sequel pretty early one and most of the cast from Black Panther is also expected to return. In the meantime, Danai Gurira has already confirmed to reprise her role as Okoye. And Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige previously revealed back in June that Ryan Coogler was at work on the sequel.

One exception when it comes to the film characters who could be back for Black Panther 2 appears to be Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger. There has also been a lot of speculation and rumors that the actor plans to reprise his role, potentially in the Ancestral Plane where T’Challa communicates with his ancestors, but Kevin Feige shot down these rumors earlier this year.

Kevin Feige went on to add that so far, nothing was actually in the table because at that time Ryan Coogler had not even put pen to paper for the Black Panther 2 story.

“The honest answer is that is a pure rumor and speculation because Mr. [Ryan] Coogler is just in only recent weeks sitting down at his keyboard and beginning to outline the movie,” Kevin Feige explained. “It is early. So nothing is set yet any way that far. Because Mr. Coogler is sitting down and he’ll share it with [producer] Nate Moore and myself in coming weeks.”

So, are you excited for Black Panther sequel? Share with us in the comments!

Black Panther Sequel Introduces Namor in the Epic Marvel Fan Poster

When Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige revealed the full slate for Phase 4 of the MCU in Hall H at last month’s San Diego Comic-Con, fans might have been a little disappointed not to hear the sequel of Black Panther listed amongst the ten projects arriving over the next couple of years. However, Kevin Feige did briefly confirm at the end of the panel that Black Panther 2 was indeed in the works, so at least we can rest easy knowing that at some point, it is on the way. Definitely, now that the Black Panther sequel has officially been confirmed, fans are glaring back at one of the most talked-about Easter eggs in Avengers: Endgame, wondering if Namor the Sub-Mariner is actually about to be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When Okoye previously told Black Widow a “disturbance” in the Atlantic Ocean that she was going to leave alone, fans immediately believed that she was talking about Namor and his underwater kingdom. However, it only makes sense that the Wakandan general would be the one to tease Namor when you think about the age-old rivalry he has with Black Panther. So this logical next step would be to introduce him in Black Panther 2, right?

Well, that is certainly the idea behind one of the awesome fan posters from renowned artist BossLogic. It is a simple teaser one, but his idea for the Black Panther sequel pits the King of Wakanda against the King of Atlantis. You can check it out below.

(Photo: BossLogic)

First of all, Black Panther: Two Kings is a kind of great title for something like this. Not only does it set up a threat for T’Challa that rivals his power, but also plays with the overall naming of sequels. And it’s hard not to love it.

In order to tease Namor, the words of the poster are settled over rippling water, introducing the oceanic threat. Taking things even further, artist BossLogic extended the bottom part of the “K” in the subtitle to become Namor’s trident.

If Marvel Studios is going to introduce Namor, it will make a lot more sense to have him first appear as a side character or villain in an already established franchise like Black Panther. Meanwhile, Aquaman is still fresh on everyone’s minds, and that could look incredibly similar if he were to be immediately introduced in his own film.

So, what do you think of this Black Panther 2 concept?

Avengers: Endgame is now going to be available digitally. You can get it here:

“Black Panther 2:” Ryan Coogler Is Now Working on the Story

There is no question that Black Panther was an undisputed hit for Marvel Studios, joining the $1 Billion Club with such an impressive box office. Ever since the movie premiered to critical and fan acclaim – not to mention its Oscar nominations – fans have still been eager to get a sequel in the world of Wakanda. It did not take long for Marvel to announce Black Panther 2 was already in the works, but there has been little development since then.

Now we know for sure that director Ryan Coogler is at work on the sequel to Black Panther, according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige himself. During an interview with BET about the potential for the return of Erik Killmonger, Feige shot that rumor down but instead confirmed a big piece of news in the process.

“The honest answer is that’s pure rumor and speculation because Mr. [Ryan] Coogler is just in only recent weeks sitting down at his keyboard and beginning to outline the movie,” Kevin Feige said. “It is early, so nothing is set yet in any way that far because Coogler is sitting down and he will share it with [producer] Nate Moore and myself in coming weeks.”

Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler is taking his time to make sure he gets Black Panther 2 just right, as he himself explained when it was announced he was returning to write the story and direct the film. He previously spoke with IndieWire about the pressure of following up a critical and commercial blockbuster, hoping to live up to expectations.

“I think the pressure is kinda always going to be there,” said Coogler. “I have had a chance to make three feature films, each one of them had its own very specific type of pressure. And in the process of it, it feels insurmountable each time.”

However, the filmmaker has still focused on making Black Panther 2 the best movie it can be, and not focusing on the expectations.

“When it comes to making a sequel, I have never done it before, a sequel to something that I have directed myself,” Ryan Coogler added. “So I think there is gonna be a lot of pressure, but what we are going to do is just focusing on the work, as we always do. We really try to go step by step and quiet everything else around us, and focus on making something that has some type of meaning.”

Ryan Coogler and Chadwick Boseman (Photo: Variety)

Last year, Kevin Feige spoke with EW after the premiere of Black Panther, explaining that the sequel was in the works, though he did not offer any more concrete details of what fans should expect.

“One of the favorite pastimes at Marvel Studios is sitting around on Part I and talking and dreaming about what we’d do in Part II. There’ve been plenty of these conversations as we were putting the first Black Panther together. We also have ideas and a pretty solid direction on where we want to head with the second one.”

“Black Panther” Wins the Oscar’s Best Production Design

Black Panther did transport viewers inside the world of Wakanda. And it seems that the film has earned a pretty big accolade for it.

The Marvel Studios movie just won the Academy Award for the Best Production Design at Oscar. The category also included The Favorite, Mary Poppins Returns, First Man, and Roma.

However, this is just the latest award that Black Panther has gotten for its production design, with the film also winning the Critics Choice Award in the same category. And it is pretty easy to see how the movie is taking home the Oscars, considering the huge amount of work that went into bringing Wakanda to life.

For production designer Hannah Beachler, she was the first to depict Wakanda, giving her an opportunity to create a whole new world.

During an interview with The Frame back in 2017, she talked about creating the world of Wakanda.

“It was a challenge for us,” said Beachler. “For Ryan [Coogler] and I, we saw the opportunity to create something with Marvel that they have not done. You know, the way I look at how I would utilize the money is that I had more of an opportunity to bring the place to it and be more detailed about it. Because it was not a place that existed or it had really been defined in any other film – I am talking about Wakanda – we could really play with that. We wanted to do lots of practical builds. We did not really want to use a lot of blue screens.”

As Beachler revealed, building the advanced African utopia with limited VFX and blue screen was certainly a challenge. The looks of Wakanda have shown a rich, dense urban landscape complete with flying vehicles and soaring architect. However, Beachler was able to achieve the Afrofuturistic setting with real sets.

“We had a lot of extensions,” she explained. “I’d build so far, and I would extend it. But we tried not to put the VFX in front. Pretty much every single set is practical. And the bigger world outside of that would become an extension.”

And for her, making Wakanda real was about more than wise use of money or limiting VFX. Beachler felt like she had a responsibility to truly represent Wakanda as an untouched nation it was written.

“As for me, it was always understanding that Wakanda had been there for 10,000 years. Then what does it look like now?” the designer said. “It’s supposed to be a place that was never colonized too. So what does that look like?”

What do you think about the world of Wakanda? Share with us in the comments!

“Black Panther” Wins the Oscar’s Best Original Score

Official news: Black Panther has won the Best Original Score at the 91st Academy Awards!

Congrats to Ludwig Göransson, the film’s composer, on winning his first Oscar.

The Marvel score even beat out BlacKkKlansman (Terence Blanchard), Isle of Dogs (Alexandre Desplat), Mary Poppins Returns (Marc Shaiman), and If Beale Street Could Talk (Nicholas Britell) to become the first superhero movie to win the award. Black Panther, in fact, is the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe even to be nominated for Best Original Score.

Ludwig Göransson is definitely having an awesome 2019 ahead.

Recently, in addition to becoming an Oscar-winner, the composer has won two Grammys. Göransson won Best Original Score for Black Panther as well as Best Song for Childish Gambino’s “This is America.”

The composer also spoke about the creative process behind making the music for Black Panther during a recent interview.

“The most important thing for me and Ryan Coogler [director] in making the music for the film was to have that score rooted in the traditional African music,” Göransson shared with SlashFilm. “That was the number one the most important thing. Actually, I went to West Africa right after I read the script. Then I told Ryan, ‘The only way that I can score this movie is to go to Africa to do my research and immerse myself in that culture.”

Göransson continued to explain how much he loved the film. He even called it the “Star Wars of our generation.”

“It was incredible. It was such an experience,” Göransson expressed. “I was so moved by it. But after I saw it, immediately I understood in order for me to really make the music work, I need to use this African music and all of those instruments. But I also need to put the elements of this cinematic sweep of the orchestra, and modern hip-hop production. So the most difficult part of this was to figure out how to infuse the traditional African music with an orchestra, but still keep it sounding African.”

Göransson then went on to explain how he made it all work together.

“So what I did, instead of just focusing on the melody and harmony, I kinda used each different section of this orchestra as a different rhythmical element, as a different drum. For example, in an African drum circle, there is djembe, there is the dunun, and the bara drums; and they all have different parts. They all have different rhythms that they play, and together they make on composition, one song. So I kinda used an orchestra as an African drum circle.”

Ludwig Göransson now has 60 composer credits to his name. Alongside Black Panther, he also helmed the music for Venom, Creed, Creed II, Central Intelligence, and so many more. Furthermore, the next big project for the composer is Star Wars: The Mandalorian. That makes Göransson one of the few people other than John Williams to write the music for Star Wars.

In addition to Best Original Score, Black Panther is also nominated for the Best Picture, Best Original Song, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing.

Once again, congrats to Ludwig Göransson and Black Panther for the big Oscar 2019 win!

Black Panther continues to become an unprecedented success for Marvel.

Since the movie came out in February 2018, it went on a marathon run at the box office for several months, for its total haul of $1.3 billion. What is even more impressive is the fact that Black Panther is the rare case of a major blockbuster that earned more domestically ($700 million) than it did globally ($646 million). The film is one of the only Marvel standalone superhero franchises to hit the billion-dollar mark. Not even Avengers: Infinity War made that kind of mark at the domestic box office. (though Marvel is perhaps still happy with that film’s $2 billion-dollar international haul).

On the critical front, Black Panther has surpassed the usual trend of Marvel films only getting the mention in visual or sound effect categories during awards season. Director Ryan Coogler has made it onto many critics groups top director lists for 2018, as Michael B. Jordan did for his performance as Black Panther’s villain, Erik Killmonger. Black Panther wracked up four Golden Globes nominations alongside these seven Oscars, proving that the film’s critical appeal reaches overseas, as well.

At present, we are still waiting for Avengers: Endgame to clear the stage for the next big phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including what the plan is for Black Panther sequel.

In the meantime, Avengers: Infinity War is already available on Netflix. Other MCU films will be hitting the theaters.

One Deleted Killmonger Line Could Change ‘Black Panther’s Entire Ending

Certainly, the ending of Black Panther was amongst the most celebrated of 2018. Since Killmonger died watching the sunset on Wakanda (which he said he would never let it happen), T’Challa took his rival’s words to heart. Then he began reaching out to help the rest of the world. This ending brought everything full circle. But as it turns out, that was not the original ending Ryan Coogler did shot.

In an interview with Cinemablend, the editor of Black Panther, Michael Shawver, revealed that Killmonger’s final line was different. And that caused some problems for T’Challa storyline. So Ryan Coogler cut the line and added an extra scene in reshoots, changing the movie’s ending for the better.

“With reshoots, Ryan [Coogler] wanted to do a new thing, and it is a whole bigger thing with the scene where Killmonger dies,” Michael Shawver began. “What we shot originally, and also in the script, was that Killmonger said ‘It is beautiful. But what are you gonna do for everyone in the world who can’t see this?’ And it was great. It was powerful, and awesome. But it’s problematic for a few reasons. First, we realized that just as a character, for the journey of T’Challa, he cannot get the answer to the film and what he needs to do from the villain – like straight-up exactly what he needs. And that is kind of what was happening. Second, it was a great performance. And [Michael B. Jordan] brought it. It was painful to watch, you know, because you kind of do not want this guy to die. But it did not fit his character.”

That scene in question is the very last one in Black Panther before the credits roll, when T’Challa takes Shuri to Oakland, revealing that he is turning Killmonger’s childhood home into an outreach and learning center.

“Ryan Coogler went off in his lab and did the brilliant work that he does as a writer. Then he wrote the final scene in Oakland where he goes with Shuri and shows the Royal Talon fighter to these kids, and specifically a kid that kinda looks like a young Killmonger,” continued Shawver. “Basically, him showing them that, and buying these buildings, and the Wakanda Outreach Program was in spirit what originally we had Erik Killmonger tell him. ‘If people can just see this, if they can see their own potential, things would be different.’ And that was done in a new scene, where we see what T’Challa has done. Then, at the very, very end, the last line is that kid looking at him, saying ‘Who are you?’ And that’s the theme of the movie, of identity. Who are you? And he does not need to answer it. Because he just answered it for us.”

In order to find the right ending, Ryan Coogler and his crew had to study what are considered to be the best film ending of all time.

The movies like The Godfather really helped influence the direction of Black Panther’s ending.

“One thing that we did is looking at all these top 10 lists of best endings ever for movies. Then we found in a lot of these videos it was one of two things. It was either the twist of ending or The Godfather,” Shawver said. “Basically, the first time you meet Michael, he is with Kay. And he is telling her he is not like his family. ‘That is not me, Kay. That is them.’ The last scene we see him, he is telling Kay he is not like his family. But then he walks, the door shuts. And you know everything is different. But it is the same conversation. And so it is the circular nature why these kinds of endings fell like closure even though it is open-ended.”

So, are you glad that Ryan Coogler eventually changed the Marvel’sBlack Panther ending? Share with us in the comments!

When asked if he continued to receive the greeting almost a year after the blockbuster’s release, Jordan told Jimmy Fallon during The Tonight Show, “Yes. Yes, they do.”

“But they do not understand. I am not from Wakanda, technically. That is a Chadwick thing. So when they said ‘Wakanda Forever,’ low-key I am still in character, like, ‘Nah, that ain’t me.’ *laugh*.”

You can watch the full video below.

Erik Killmonger, born N’Jadaka, the son of Wakandan Prince N’Jobu (star Sterling K. Brown) – the radicalized younger brother of then-King T’Chaka (star John Kani, Atandwa Kani) – the deadly Killmonger grew up resenting Wakanda. Later he returned to disrupt the kingdom and overthrow its freshly crowned king as part of a plot to use the country’s resources, enacting his own form of brutal retribution on an oppressive world.

Despite the fact that Jordan doesn’t typically say “Wakanda Forever,” he still loves the movie.

“The movie, honestly, what it did, and the impact that it made in the community over the world, especially for our culture – is just representation, man. Being able to see yourself up on a big screen in a positive way that is not stereotypical. That is a position of power, royalty, regular family dynamics. Having history, that culture, that mythology there was extremely important,” said Jordan.

“Especially Halloween. You know, used to see all those memes. And you see all these costumes and little kids, these little boys with permanent marker beards looking like Killmonger. Then you see all these little girls dressed up like [Wakanda special forces] Dora Milaje, with those bald caps on, stuff like that. I think, just having that sense of pride of where you come from, your sense of identity, is really powerful.”

Meanwhile, the blockbuster Black Panther went on to earn $1.3 billion worldwide, making it the ninth highest grossing movie of all time.

It’s the third highest grossing earner of all time domestically. And the film is the biggest domestic champion for 2018 at $700 million, making it the third film that reaches that financial milestone in history.

Furthermore, Michael B. Jordan and his co-stars received a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Black Panther emerged as the first superhero movie to earn a Best Picture – Drama nomination at this year’s Golden Globes.

It is no secret that Stan Lee had a penchant for his cameos in both live-action and animated properties. This weekend, the great late publisher of Marvel Comics will have his final appearance in animation air in an episode of Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest.

On the official Marvel site earlier today, Stan Lee’s cameo will air during an episode titled “T’Chanda,” featuring Black Panther (James C. Mathis III) as he uncovers secrets about his grandfather. Set in the 1940s, the voice behind Army General is Stan Lee. After Captain America and Agent Carter apprehend Arnim Zola, his character gives a speech on hatred and intolerance.

“Hate does not make you strong,” says the character of Stan Lee. “Hate makes you weak.”

You can view his entire Black Panther’s Quest cameo in the clip below.

Recently, it was revealed that Stan Lee did appear in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse beyond his vocal cameo. Thanks to the movie’s animators, Lee made multiple non-verbal cameos in the film. As we now realize, his animated cameo in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was not his last.

According to one executive of Marvel Animation, the message Stan Lee’s character sends in his last animated cameo is particularly poignant.

“This particular episode [of “Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest”] has personal meaning for me,” said Cort Lane, Marvel Animation SVP. “I believe it is his last recorded appearance in animation. It is bittersweet. But I am so glad we were able to capture a message that was very true how Stan Lee felt about the world. And that inspired him to write lots of the stories as he did.”

Cort Lane continued, revealing that when Stan Lee was in the studio to record his Black Panther’s Quest cameo, Star Wars star Mark Hamill was also in there recording a part for the show. Suffice to say, both voice actors were in awe of each other.

“Stan Lee created a real bond with his audience in the bullpen,” Mark Hamill mentioned. “He had the snarky humor. He’d give out ‘No-Prizes,’ because people were always pointing out boo-boos and mistakes. He had a personality that came across over the page. He was sort of the avuncular uncle you wish you had. On television, it’s Walt Disney. And in comic books, it’s Stan The Man.”

Although this Black Panther’s Quest appears to be the late creator’s last cameo in animation properties, Stan Lee is still expected to have his cameos in both upcoming Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. As for now, it remains unknown whether or not he took part in cameos for X-Men: Dark Phoenix or The New Mutants for Fox.

Stan Lee may be gone. But his voice and the words he spoke will never be lost.

She said the appreciation, as well as the success of the Ryan Coogler-directed blockbuster, was “deeply nourishing.”

“And even more so than we could have been anticipated or expected,” Gurira told the Los Angeles Times. “We definitely put all our heart and our soul into it. We were all seeking the most authentic, the most truthful, the most alive and connected version of the story we could all tell. And the beauty in that was a collective perspective.”

“It’s deeply rooted in Ryan, but it was not just Ryan,” she said. “It was all of us. He put around him an amazing team enhancing that core he brought. We were able to work in a great unit. And Marvel was really great in embracing that we came in with the whole perspective and deep desire to say many things in the African language.”

“They also allowed us to feel like collaborators, as, of course, did Ryan. So as a result, we all feel collective ownership, which is really special,” said Danai Gurira.

As for the massive success of Black Panther.

Mostly set in the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda, the most technologically-advanced nation on Earth, also led by a predominantly black cast, the blockbuster Black Panther earned more than $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office in 2018. The film emerges as the highest-grossing domestic winner of the year with $700 million – just the third movie in history to pass the milestone.

Black Panther has since earned a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, which Danai Gurira remarked is “beautiful.”

“It is really cool,” she said. “I just saw the list of all of us. And I was like, ‘That is really beautiful.’”

During an interview, Danai Gurira was asked if there was ever a depiction of Africa in movies that was as “positive and progressive” like the one seen in Black Panther.

Then she answered, “I don’t think so. I really don’t think so.”

“That’s what drove me to start writing. Like, ‘This can’t be the way my people are portrayed in a cinematic form.’ For me, it was a theater at the time. That is my medium,” said Danai Gurira, an accomplished playwright who has since launched well-received play The Convert, headlined by the Black Pantherco-star Letitia Wright.

“It’s really that dearth. Every time I saw a film. And not all, there were many interpretations of the continent that I found really disturbing and limited and from a perspective that was not ours. To all the ways Black Panther counters that just by telling an excellent story excellently was deeply heartening. And I think it was a first.”

With Black Panther helping increase on-screen representation in Hollywood, the Okoye actress said: “one can hope this is about climate and not weather. That is what I keep saying.”

“It is about a shift that is happening because that is how it should be. There has been an openness that prevailed around these types of stories being told, absolutely,” Gurira explained.

“We have seen some higher-ups in this industry speak powerfully around how you do what makes sense. That means you tell them a variety of stories from a variety of perspectives, and with authenticity.”

Danai Gurira is now expected to reprise the fierce Wakandan warrior in Avengers: Endgame, out April 26. Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler was officially signed to return as writer-director for Black Panther 2, yet to be dated by Marvel Studios.